Lunch – Back by 5:00

To clarify any misunderstanding or misconception of the rules, management does not have the right to tell you to, require you, ask you, or solicit you to volunteer to waive your lunch or take your lunch after you finish delivering your mail ... or when you return from the street.

The National Agreement and the Employee Labor Relations Manual is very clear on whom initiates such a request for a

“no lunch” and under what circumstances.

Though we try to make the goals of the Postal Service, we must do so within the confines of the National Agreement and the provisions contained within our handbooks and manuals.

Solicitation by management is not permitted and can be a serious offense depending how the solicitation is presented. Let us just do what we are supposed to do.

If we abuse the privilege or the right to revise our schedules, inclusive of not taking a lunch for reasons such as returning from the road by 5:00 pm, or if we try to circumvent the rules and regulations governing revised schedules, we may find ourselves limited in the requests being approved or denied when we really need to revise.

“No lunch” requests will be closely monitored.

Joseph R. Palmerson, President

NALC Branch 2128 Toms River

April 16, 2009